There are numerous types of small water craft on the waters today. For example, small boats, jet skis, pontoon boats, row boats, power boats and the like. Such small water craft are very popular, relatively low cost, widely available, and widely used. However, in general they require protection and maintenance. To provide protection and maintenance such water craft must be taken out of the water.
Small water craft are frequently removed from the water by boat lifts. Boat lifts remove water craft from the water in a manner that protects the water craft's hull from damage to enable maintenance, transportation, and storage of the water craft. Most boat lifts are either hand-operated or operated by electric power that is supplied by power lines. Hand-operated systems use a hand-crank to power cables and pulleys that raise or lower the water craft. Operating a boat lift by hand quickly becomes tiring for all but those in peak physical shape. In particular, elderly, handicapped, the very young, and others may simply find hand cranking too difficult.
The alternative to hand operated boat lifts are electric powered boat lifts. Such boat lifts require the availability of electrical power. Since some boat lifts are located far from power lines the use of electrical-powered boat lifts can be problematic. Running electric power to remotely located boat lifts may be far too costly and difficult to be practical. Indeed, in some remote locations, such as in wilderness areas, running power lines is not possible no matter what the cost.
Accordingly, there exists a need for boat lifts that can be used in remote locations without requiring electrical power lines and without required hand powered operation. Beneficially, those boat lifts would be electrically operated, would be low cost, easy to use and easy to install. Preferably such boat lifts would provide safe, “green” energy methods of raising and lowering water craft.